At these words, everyone froze in place.
Zhu Dongfeng snapped his head up to look at Lou Tingxue.
Striding forward, he grabbed Lou Tingxue’s arm in a tight grip and demanded, “Young Master Lou, what do you mean by that? Even the physician couldn’t diagnose his ailment—do you know how to cure it?”
“Of course I do! I not only know what illness he has, but I also know how to treat it!” Pain radiated from Lou Tingxue’s arm, and he struggled continuously. Though Zhu Dongfeng looked lean and slender, his grip was unexpectedly strong, leaving Lou Tingxue entirely unable to break free.
Anxious beyond measure, Lin Shi urged, “If that’s the case, we beg Young Master Lou to save him! We will surely repay your kindness in the future!”
Lou Tingxue was willing to help, so he gestured toward Zhu Dongfeng’s grip on his arm and said, “If you want me to save him, first let go of me!”
Zhu Dongfeng released his hand immediately. “Forgive my rudeness.”
Crouching down, Lou Tingxue looked at Wen Xiao’s bleeding gums and pale complexion. “He has scurvy. Fortunately, it’s still in its early stages—eating one or two lemons and oranges every day will keep him alive for sure.”
“But he’s in so much pain he can barely hold on!” Lin Shi said frantically.
“That’s all the more reason for him to eat more lemons and oranges. After sailing at sea for half a month and staying here for so long, he definitely hasn’t eaten any fresh vegetables or fruit. His body is severely lacking essential nutrients, which is why this happened,” Lou Tingxue explained.
During the Age of Discovery in Portugal, sailors on long voyages developed scurvy due to repetitive diets lacking fresh fruits and vegetables, which led to a severe deficiency of vitamin C.
Initial symptoms began with fatigue and loss of appetite, followed by swollen, bleeding gums, loose teeth, skin bruising, and joint pain. In severe cases, it resulted in systemic hemorrhaging, organ failure, or even death.
Later, through various experiments, it was discovered that consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges and lemons, could relieve and cure scurvy.
Lou Tingxue recalled reading about this piece of history in books, and as luck would have it, that knowledge came in handy today.
Lin Shi looked down at Wen Xiao and remarked, “Young Master Lou hit the nail right on the head! You kid love meat the most and never touch a single leaf of vegetable or fruit on ordinary days. Today you nearly lost your life over it—let’s see if you dare do it again in the future!”
Pale with excruciating pain, Wen Xiao groaned, “Say no more… I don’t dare anymore. Save me quickly!”
Zhu Dongfeng intervened immediately. “We can discuss this later. Quick, fetch some fresh fruits and vegetables, press them into juice, and slowly feed it to Wen Xiao. Then use warm water to wipe his forehead and limbs!”
The old physician standing nearby looked puzzled.
He turned to Lou Tingxue and asked, “Young gentleman, allow me to ask a crude question. Vegetables and fruits are merely ordinary foods—how could they possibly exert such a massive influence?”
Lou Tingxue simply replied, “Fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, which the human body cannot synthesize on its own. If the human body were made of countless pieces of meat, then vitamin C is the glue that binds those pieces together.”
Hearing this, the old physician’s brows knitted tight as he stroked his beard continuously, appearing completely baffled.
Lou Tingxue suddenly remembered that he was in ancient times. What he said might not be understood by others, and they might even treat him like a monster and burn him at the stake—just like the fate of those 16th-century scientists.
Recalling those scientists who were burned to death, he promptly sealed his mouth shut, refusing to utter another word.
Two hours later, Wen Xiao gradually recovered his strength, and his complexion improved somewhat.
Looking at Lou Tingxue beside him, his eyes were filled with gratitude as he said, “Thank you, Young Master Lou, for saving my life. I shall never forget your great kindness!”
As Wen Xiao was supported back to his room to rest, quiet finally returned to the main hall.
Zhu Dongfeng pulled Lou Tingxue over to sit down and personally poured him a cup of hot tea.
With a light laugh, he asked, “Regarding today’s matter, I remain puzzled. Why did Young Master Lou know of an illness that even the physician could not recognize?”
Taking the teacup, Lou Tingxue replied calmly, “I once read about it in a book. Sailors who travel across vast oceans often suffer from this illness, called scurvy. Some ships sail at sea for months or even half a year, carrying only dry rations and meat without fresh produce. Over time, the crew members contract this condition.”
“Oh? There is actually such an illness?” Zhu Dongfeng’s eyes sparkled with surprise. Leaning forward slightly, he added, “Are there other symptoms to this disease?”
“Of course.” Lou Tingxue set down his teacup.
Raising his eyes to look at Zhu Dongfeng, he said word by word, “At first, it’s just a pale complexion and general weakness. Later, previously healed wounds will reopen for no reason, gums will bleed incessantly, and before long, death follows.”
Zhu Dongfeng listened with a deep frown and remarked, “Yet I am puzzled by one thing—tigers and lions that feed on meat year-round never consume fruits or vegetables, so why don’t they contract this disease?”
Lou Tingxue glanced up at him and retorted, “How can humans and beasts be compared on the same terms?”
At these words, Zhu Dongfeng was instantly rendered speechless.
He fell silent for a moment, thought about what he had just said, and was actually amused by his own foolish question. He chuckled, “Young Master Lou not only possesses fine culinary skills, but is also a learned scholar. I truly underestimated you in the past.”
Lou Tingxue replied, “It matters not.”
Fading his smile, Zhu Dongfeng added, “Yet in this world, sometimes humans and beasts are no different at all.”
Hearing this, both fell silent.
Looking at Zhu Dongfeng, Lou Tingxue nodded and said, “Boss Zhu isn’t wrong, either.”
Shifting the topic, he continued, “I have one more matter. I hope Boss Zhu won’t blame that old physician. He has practiced medicine on land his entire life and has never seen maritime illnesses. It’s completely normal that he didn’t know about scurvy—he didn’t mean to perfunctorily brush you off, nor did he intend to harm anyone.”
Zhu Dongfeng had not expected Lou Tingxue to make such a request.
Stunned for a moment, he promptly nodded and said, “How could I possibly refuse anything Young Master Lou requests?”
That meant he agreed.
Lou Tingxue felt relieved.
Now, his only remaining worry was not knowing when they could return to Great Liang.
Thus, Lou Tingxue asked, “Boss Zhu, we have been staying here for more than half a month. When exactly will you finalize this business deal?”
In other words, he truly wanted to hurry back to Great Liang.
Zhu Dongfeng let out a sigh, resting his head on his hand as if suffering a severe headache. “Young Master Lou doesn’t know how obstinate those three tea merchants in Huainan are. They have banded together like a tight rope, and no matter what terms I offer, they refuse to cooperate with me.”
Lou Tingxue was utterly speechbound.
He needed the Ten-Thousand-Dan Vessel to take him back, but to set sail, Zhu Dongfeng had to give the nod. Yet this man was tied down by this very business deal—it was truly driving everyone anxious!
Having no other choice, Lou Tingxue said, “On that snowy night, Boss Zhu saved my life. Now it’s my turn to repay you.”
Zhu Dongfeng raised his eyes to look at him, somewhat puzzled.
Lou Tingxue continued, “I know Boss Zhu’s business deal in Great Zhou is thorny, so I’ve decided to help you finalize it—consider it my way of repaying your kindness.”
Hearing this, even Zhu Dongfeng was stunned.
With a half-smile, he looked at Lou Tingxue and said, “Young Master Lou, do you know that I am the wealthiest merchant under heaven? Can you truly help me negotiate a deal that even I find thorny?”
Lou Tingxue wasn’t joking. Looking straight into Zhu Dongfeng’s eyes, he said earnestly, “Chinese people don’t lie to Chinese people.”
Zhu Dongfeng’s brow furrowed slightly as he asked, “What is a ‘Chinese’?”
Lou Tingxue hastily corrected himself, “Great Liang! I meant people of Great Liang!”
The two remained in a standoff for a moment.
Finally, Zhu Dongfeng relented and said, “Very well. Since Young Master Lou offers such good intentions, how could I have the heart to disappoint you? Tomorrow at noon, I will take you to Fan Tower. If Young Master Lou can truly help me finalize this deal…”
Zhu Dongfeng left the rest of his sentence unsaid.
Standing up, he bowed slightly toward Lou Tingxue and said, “Rest well, Young Master Lou. I shall not disturb you further.”
After Zhu Dongfeng left, Lou Tingxue summoned Lin Shi and Yuwei.
Gesturing toward two stools nearby, Lou Tingxue said, “Sit down, you two. There’s something I need to ask you.”
Yuwei and Lin Shi took their seats as requested.
Seeing Lou Tingxue’s solemn expression, the two instinctively exchanged a glance.
“Young Master, Master instructed us earlier that no matter what you ask, we are to tell you everything,” Yuwei spoke up first.
Lou Tingxue was caught off guard.
How did Zhu Dongfeng know he was going to seek out Yuwei and Lin Shi?
Snapping back to reality, Lou Tingxue got straight to the point: “Since you follow Zhu Dongfeng, you must know the situation. Tell me, why has he been unable to secure this deal for so long? What difficulties did he run into?”
Lin Shi let out a sigh and said, “Young Master Lou, to tell you the truth, Master came to Great Zhou to do tea business. He brought a batch of top-quality tea leaves from Great Liang, intending to open up a market in Great Zhou’s trade square. Who would have thought he’d run headfirst into three hard nails!”
Focusing his attention, Lou Tingxue urged, “Explain the matter to me in full detail.”
Taking over the conversation, Yuwei said indignantly, “There are three local tea merchants in Huainan who run the biggest tea businesses around. They are named Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu. They’ve been causing trouble behind the scenes, refusing to let Master sell tea in Huainan.”
“Wh-What?!” Lou Tingxue could hardly believe his ears.
Assuming he hadn’t heard clearly, Yuwei repeated herself.
In the end, she looked at Lou Tingxue with a hint of sympathy and said, “Young Master Lou, this matter is truly difficult to handle. Do not force yourself.”
Lou Tingxue slapped the table and exclaimed, “There are actually people named Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu?! How did they even pick their names?! This is truly an eye-opener for me!”
Yuwei and Lin Shi were both stunned.
Lou Tingxue looked at them and asked, “What are you staring at? Keep going! What’s with the three of them?”
Lin Shi explained, “These three are sworn brothers, each possessing their own networks and monopolizing the tea trade in the Huainan region. When Master brought his tea to meet them and proposed doing business together, they immediately flipped their expressions and refused to agree no matter what.”
Lou Tingxue simply remarked, “They don’t refuse to agree they are trying to extract the maximum profit before agreeing.”
At these words, both Yuwei and Lin Shi were stunned.
Yuwei couldn’t help asking, “What does Young Master Lou mean by that?”
Lou Tingxue smiled faintly and explained, “If they truly refused to cooperate with Zhu Dongfeng, they wouldn’t continue negotiating after the first rejection. It’s been over half a month, yet they are still holding meetings about this deal. That proves they do want to finalize it—they are simply unsatisfied with the profits currently offered to them.”